California State Senator (D-San Francisco, San Rafael)
State Senator, representing parts of San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma Counties, and new member of the Senate Budget Committee; former state assemblyman
PROFILE
Mark Leno
Guest
FROM Mark Leno
Which Way, L.A.?
Is California Facing a Financial Armageddon? Following yesterday’s special election , Governor Schwarzenegger was scheduled back in Sacramento this afternoon to talk to legislative leaders about what to do now. State Treasurer Bill Lockyer says the state will need to borrow to pay its bills. To establish credit, it will need a new budget no later than mid-July. We speak with State Senators Jeff Denham, Republican from the Central Valley, and Democrat Mark Leno of San Francisco, who sits on the Budget Committee.
Which Way, L.A.?
Money and Power in Sacramento Lobbyists outnumber legislators in Sacramento by 8 to 1. Lobbying is a growth industry. In 1975, interest groups hiring lobbyists numbered 682; now it's 2,365. Since 1990, lobbyist spending has risen from $193 million to $550 million. Another reason that lobbyists get what they want is that they've been there a lot longer.
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Construction continues at new Inglewood stadium The most expensive sports stadium in US history is rising from a huge hole in the ground in the South Bay city of Inglewood. In just two years Inglewood will play host to both L.A. football teams, the Rams and the Chargers, and add a million square feet of retail, office space, a hotel, parks and even a lake! As the 70,000-seat stadium site takes shape, the city around it is anticipating big changes -- some welcome and some worrisome.